


Where there's a will, there's a way

by booksandanime



Series: Trains, strangers, flowers, and things [3]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: And knows what to do, And too much insecurities, But Brenda is legit nice, Multi, Teresa has too much pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-26 22:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5022541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksandanime/pseuds/booksandanime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas encourages Teresa to go out and meet someone. Teresa refuses, but soon agrees.<br/>And this is what happened after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where there's a will, there's a way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [faisyah865](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faisyah865/gifts).



> THIS IS SO LATE, AGHH, I'M SO SORRY.  
> I PROMISED TO UPDATE SOMETIME AROUND LAST MONTH, OR SOMETHING, BUT I CHOSE TO UPDATE IT NOW, BECAUSE OF SCHOOL....  
> AGAIN, I'M SORRY. 
> 
> Please just read. =]

Teresa was comfortably in her room, watching an Ender's Game movie, when her phone rang.  
Before picking it up, she already knew who it was.

   
"Thomas, I'm watching something, so if you don't have a good reason as to why you're calling me, I swear I'll-" Teresa began.  
"Teresa." Thomas began.   
Teresa paused. "Thomas. You have your I-have-a-stupid-idea-but-I-think-it-will-work-because-I-say-so."  
Thomas groaned. "Look, can you just hear me out? I tried it out on Newt, and he thought that it was a good idea."  
"Look, of course Newt would think so, he's your boyfriend, and he hasn't known you as long as I have." Teresa said, watching Ender take command of Dragon Army.  
"Look, come on, just hear me out." Thomas begged.  
Teresa sighed. "Alright, let's hear it."  
"I think you need a girlfriend." Thomas said, seriously.  
Teresa blinked, then paused the movie. "Why do you think so? And why did you say "girlfriend", instead of "boyfriend."  
"How many boyfriends have you tried? Fifteen. And weren't they all "obnoxious nerds", according to you?" Thomas prompted.  
"That doesn't mean I'm fated to never get a boyfriend." Teresa said, torn between being defensive and being amused.  
"Well, broadening your perspective never hurt anyone." Thomas said, teasingly.  
"Using my own words against me, I'm hurt." Teresa said, smiling.  
"So?? Will you consider my advice?" Thomas asked.  
"Alright. Just let me finish watching, and I'll-" Teresa began.  
"Uh-uh. Nope. This can't wait." Thomas said, sternly.  
"I will punch you so hard right now-" Teresa began.  
"Threats later. Action now." Thomas demanded.  
In the background, Teresa could hear Newt saying, "You go, Tommy!"  
"Will you love me even with a black eye?" Thomas asked him, dramatically.  
"Of course love." Newt said, with exaggerated affection.  
Teresa groaned. "Alright, alright, just stop. So, what do you want me to do?"  
  
Teresa knew that Thomas was grinning. "You'll see."  
  
  
* * *

  
"Absolutely not." Teresa answered immediately.  
"What's wrong with wearing a skirt?" Thomas asked.  
"What's so wrong with just wearing jeans?" Teresa retorted.  
"Look, I know you don't want to-" Thomas began.  
"That's an understatement." Teresa muttered.  
"-so I asked my aunt for help. She's expecting you in 15 minutes." Thomas continued.  
"Your aunt?" Teresa asked.  
She had seen Thomas' aunt before, back when she was 7 years old. She didn't remember much, seeing as she was too busy bossing Thomas around to take notice of someone older bossing her around.  
Even at 7 years old, she had her pride.   
  
"Yeah. My aunt. Does that work with you, because I'd think that you'd prefer her fashion advice over mine or Newt's." Thomas said.  
" _Excuse me_ , I'll have you know, my fashion sense is impeccable." Newt said, haughtily.  
Teresa swore she could hear Thomas rolling his eyes. "Sure Newt."  
"It's better than yours, I mean, come on, polo shirts??" Newt asked.  
"I thought you said that I work any clothes I wear." Thomas teased.  
"Only because I'm a nice guy, and your taste in clothes is ugly as shuck." Newt said, scoffing.  
"I always catch you looking though." Thomas countered.  
"Guys, as much as I'd love to know more about this interesting topic, that wouldn't be fair to you, because I'd really rather not." Teresa said, stopping the conversation before it could go any further.  
"Ah, sorry." Thomas said, sheepishly.  
Teresa smiled slightly, glad to know that her friend could joke so easily with someone else. Before, it was only her Thomas could talk to.   
"It's alright. Anyway, after the train ride, I just have to walk straight for 5 minutes, and take 3 left turns, and one right turn, right?" Teresa asked.  
"Yeah. Do you need me to give you instructions through the phone?" Thomas asked.  
"Nah, I'm fine. I think I've got this. I'll call you if I get lost." Teresa promised.  
"Alright. Drive safely, and don't stop for take-out." Thomas said, jokingly.  
"You do know that I only stop for take-out because you ask me to buy food for you, right?" Teresa asked.  
"Hey, I get hungry." Thomas defended.  
Teresa laughed. "Sure."  
  
She made sure to tell Thomas to eat a healthy lunch before turning her phone off.  
She grabbed her laptop, her wallet, and her keys. She made sure to turn off all the lights, and check all the locks. Satisfied, she locked the front door, and walked out to where her car was parked in front.  
Getting in, she put her phone beside her, clicked on her seat belt, and drove.  
  
* * *  
  
Teresa had to admit that the scenery was quite nice.   
The countryside passed so fast by train.   
She sipped her milkshake thoughtfully. (So she drove by a milkshake shop, was that so bad?)  
She had parked her car at a friend's house, and walked the rest of the way to the train station. Thankfully, even though it was a weekend, and there was a massive crowd roaming on the platform, the train car itself was relatively empty.  
It was also really quiet, and Teresa would be lying if she said she didn't appreciate the peaceful atmosphere.  
And, as if reading her mind, her phone rang.  
  
Teresa glanced at it.  
  
\---------  
1:48 P.M.  
  
From: Thomas   
  
Message: So, are you on the train yet?

\---------

Teresa quickly typed out a message.

\---------  
1: 49 P.M.   
  
From: Teresa   
  
Message: Yes. It's very quiet, and you're disturbing the peace. Anything you need right now?  
  
\----------  
  
There was no immediate reply. Then,  
  
\-------  
1:55 P.M.  
  
From: Thomas  
  
Message: Ouch.  
  
\--------  
  
Teresa sighed.   
  
\-----  
1:56 P.M.  
  
From: Teresa  
  
Message: Stop pretending that I'm bruising your ego. What do you want?  
  
\-------  
  
A ring.  
Teresa pressed the green button, and lifted the phone to her ear.  
"Whenever you give curt replies, it means that you're nervous." Thomas said.  
"I'm not actually sure why." Teresa said, honestly.  
"Well, I'm here to tell you that there's nothing to be nervous about. My aunt is really kind, so you won't feel uncomfortable with her." Thomas assured her.  
Teresa bit her lip. "I don't know. You know that I don't like meeting strangers."  
"She's not a stranger. You guys met before, remember? She's my aunt, I know her. She won't do anything you're not comfortable with; why do you think I chose her?" Thomas asked.  
"I know." Teresa said, and she meant it. "I'm-"  
"You don't have to apologize." Thomas interrupted.   
"Can you read minds now?" Teresa asked, smiling faintly.  
"Nah, I just know you." Thomas said, and Teresa knew that he was grinning.  
"Thank you." Teresa said.  
"Any time." Thomas said.  
"Well, you should probably go now. I'm pulling you away from Newt." Teresa said.  
Thomas tried to say something, but then there was a crackle, and Newt came on the phone.  
"Yeah, we were kind of in the middle of something, when Tommy figured that you needed some help. Good thing he knows you so well, I almost snapped when I read your messages." Newt joked.  
Teresa, having been acquainted with Newt for some time, knew that Newt was simultaneously telling her that first, there was nothing to be afraid of, and second, that he would not hesitate to end the call if Teresa kept giving snappy replies.  
Teresa smiled. Yeah, she was proud of Thomas for having someone as good as Newt  
"Alright. Tell Thomas that I'll call him when I arrive. Have fun, Newt, and please don't do anything without protection." Teresa joked.  
"Sure thing, Res." Newt said, and Teresa could imagine him winking at Thomas, the latter of who was probably really red by now.  
With a chuckle of her own, she ended the call.  
  
* * *  
  
Ok, so maybe she was a little nervous. How could she not? When she was 4, she lost her mother, and her father was so distant, it was almost as if he didn't exist. By the time she was 5, she was independent, and did all of the household chores by herself. By 6 years old, she started to make decisions for herself. And by 7, she never talked to strangers, and didn't trust whatever anyone told her.  
She had thrown a screaming fit when she was seven and a half, crying because someone had offered her a lollipop. Her father had immediately apologized for her, and later, when they were safely away, demanded to know why she screamed. And Teresa had stubbornly said that lollipops gave cavities, and that strangers shouldn't be giving gifts in the form of cavity bringing sweets.  
Her father had just sighed, and they walked in silence, Teresa noticing the thick atmosphere between them.  
  
From that day on, Teresa accepted every gift with a smile, and a "thank you", knowing that everyone would see that she was a girl with good manners, and that that would bring pride to her father.  
Of course that didn't mean that she had to use them.   
  
* * *  
Standing in front of Thomas' aunt's house, Teresa felt slightly under dressed.  
The house wasn't a mansion, far from it, but it wasn't a barn either. There was a waist high wooden gate, and it was in front of a path leading to a 3 story house, complete with terraces, dozens of windows, with a garden on both sides of the path, and there were geraniums, orchids, lilies, tomato plants, and some others that Teresa didn't know the names of.  
Dressed in jeans, a shirt, and with her hair as messy as usual, she nudged the small wooden gate open, entered, closed it, and walked up the path, nerves tensed.  
She knocked on the door, a modest mahogany one, and waited.  
She didn't have to wait for long, because almost one second after, the door opened.  
  
Teresa sucked in a breath.  
The woman in the doorway was wearing a green dress that came to a stop, just below her knees, a blue vest, and brown boots. Her hair was cut in a short bob, with small strips of wispy bangs covering a bit of her forehead. She had a smile on that made Teresa struggle to catch her breath. But what Teresa couldn't stop looking at was her eyes. Dark, intense eyes, that held you in their gaze, and seemed to know everything about you, every insecurity, every fault, and assessed it. But, unlike others, who wondered what to do with all of the knowledge, Brenda didn't have any qualms about it. She seemed to accept it, to understand the person, and to love them.   
It was a strange thing, and what was even stranger, was that Teresa liked her immediately.  
  
"You must be Teresa." Brenda said, smiling.  
"Yes. I'm sorry for suddenly appearing on your doorstep like this." Teresa said, remembering her manners.  
"It's really not a problem, I like guests." Brenda said.  
"Oh." was all Teresa could say to that.  
"Would you like to come inside?" Brenda asked.  
"Yes, please." Teresa said.

And as she followed the woman inside, she wondered why she suddenly felt really warm.  
  
* * *  
  
Brenda was apparently a really good conversationalist. Instead of asking what Teresa needed, she started the conversation herself. Nothing important, just a few random topics here and there, but interesting enough that Teresa could also offer up some of her opinions. She had good topics, good theories, and good ideas, not necessarily all on the same subject, sometimes on the country side, sometimes on cooking, sometimes on the government. She had a kind of witty humor around her, the opposite of Teresa's dry sarcasm, and Teresa couldn't help but warm up to her.  
And that scared her.  
  
"And then, he actually stared at me, like it was weird for me to speak up, even though half of the people there were women! Of course, then he realized his mistake, but by then, everyone knew that my suggestion was good, and fortunately for him, gave no more attention to his mistake." Brenda said, laughing a bit.  
"Everyone's a sexist." Teresa said, sighing.  
"Well, to be fair, most of the women there were secretaries, and I was the only one who willingly opposed him." Brenda said, thoughtfully.  
"I'm glad you did though." Teresa said. Then, "The look on his face must have been priceless."  
"Oh, it was! His eyes were so wide, I thought they'd pop out of his head!" Brenda chuckled.  
Teresa smiled.  
"Oh, forgive me, it's already 5:30, and I haven't even discussed what you came here for." Brenda said, eyes worried.  
"It's no problem, I enjoyed your stories. They were very engaging." Teresa said.  
Brenda chuckled for a bit, and Teresa cracked a smile. "Well, since I kept going on and on, I suggest we discuss this over dinner, my treat."  
"Sure." The word was out before Teresa could help it.  
Brenda grinned. "Great! I'll just get my things."   
  
And she was gone, leaving Teresa to wonder why she had agreed so quickly, and why she didn't think feel bad about it.  
  
* * *  
  
Later, at a small restaurant, Teresa would deny that she had smiled, talked, and laughed more than she had for a long time.  
And if she held a small slip of paper between her fingers, well, it was her own business.   
  
* * *

\---------  
9:48 P.M.

From: Thomas

Message: How did it go?  
\---------

\---------  
9:49 P.M.  
  
From: Teresa  
  
Message: It was quite interesting.  
\---------  
  
\--------  
9:50 P.M.  
  
From: Thomas  
  
Message: Ah. I see. Are you meeting her again?  
\--------

\---------  
9:52 P.M.  
  
From: Teresa  
  
Message: Yes.  
\----------

\-----------  
9:54 P.M.  
  
From: Thomas  
  
Message: Admit it, I'M A GENIUS.  
\-----------

\---------  
9:56 P.M.  
  
From: Teresa  
  
Message: Nah, you're just a really sensitive person.   
\--------  
  
\--------  
9:57 P.M.  
  
From: Teresa  
  
Message: Thank you.  
\--------  
  
\---------  
10:00 P.M.  
  
From: Thomas  
  
Message: Any time. 

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the end for the first part of the Teresa/Brenda ship! I hope it was ok!


End file.
